1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hoses and protective sleeves which fit thereover. More particularly, the present invention relates to a tool and method of use therefor for mounting a protective sleeve onto a hose.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Protective sleeves for covering hoses, such as central vacuum hoses or the like, are known and are commercially available. These protective sleeves for hoses are advantageous because they protect household items, such as furniture, from being scratched or marred by the hose. For example, protective sleeves for central vacuum hoses are available from Vacsoc Inc. of Concord, Ontario, and from Cen-Tec Systems of Bloomington, Ill. The commercially available protective sleeves are flaccidly flexible and normally include an elastic fabric or fabric-like material as part of their construction so that they will conform snugly to the external contours of the central vacuum hose, which is itself flexible and normally ribbed.
However, the job of mounting such a protective sleeve onto a central vacuum hose is a difficult and time-consuming effort, since the protective sleeve tends to grip the hose at any particular point when placed thereon, particularly due to the ribbing, and since the protective sleeve must generally pass over an enlarged fitting at one end before it reaches the hose itself. A need therefore exists in the art for an improved method of mounting a protective sleeve onto a hose, and for a tool which will facilitate mounting a protective sleeve onto such a hose.